A manual garage door that won’t budge usually points to a lock, a broken spring, jammed rollers, or an engaged opener—start with the red release cord.
Safety First Before Any Manual Lift
Stay clear of springs and bottom brackets. Those parts carry heavy tension. If a spring is broken or a cable is off the drum, stop and call a pro. Keep bystanders away, wear gloves, and work with the door fully down when you pull the emergency release.
Why A Garage Door Won’t Open Manually: Quick Checks
These fast checks solve many cases in minutes. Move in order, from the easiest to the more involved.
| Symptom You See | Likely Cause | What To Try First |
|---|---|---|
| Handle turns but door won’t move | Manual lock engaged | Set the lock to “unlock”; verify slide bars retract fully |
| Door lifts a few inches then drops | Torsion or extension spring broken | Stop; do not lift solo; schedule service |
| Door won’t start moving at all | Opener still latched to trolley | Pull the red cord straight down to release the trolley |
| Sticky, jerky movement | Dirty rollers or bent track | Wipe the track; add a light garage-door lube to rollers and hinges |
| Stuck after cold night | Weatherseal frozen to slab | Chip ice at the seal, warm the seal edge, then lift evenly |
| Door feels far heavier than usual | Spring lost tension or cable slipped | Stop and book a technician to rebalance |
How The Manual Release Works
Your opener uses a trolley that locks to the door arm. The red handle on the cord disconnects that latch. On many models, one pull releases, and a second pull re-latches. Always release with the door closed so it can’t race down. For brand-specific steps, see the maker’s guide; the LiftMaster manual page linked below matches most chain and belt drives.
Check These Mechanical Roadblocks
Door Is Locked Or Slide Bars Are Out
Many steel doors have a center handle that turns two slide bars into the vertical tracks. Turn the handle to unlock and watch both bars retract. If a bar hangs up, back out the small keeper screw or tap the bar gently so it clears the slot.
Broken Or Unwound Spring
Look above the door for a gap in the torsion spring or a hanging cable near the bottom bracket. A broken spring makes the door feel like a stone slab. Do not muscle it. Leave the door down, block the track so no one tries to lift, and book a repair.
Rollers, Hinges, Or Tracks Jammed
Dust, dried grease, and track dings add drag. Wipe the inside faces of both tracks with a clean rag. Roll the door a few inches and listen for a scraping roller. If a hinge is loose, snug the carriage bolts. Large bends or a twisted flag bracket need service.
Weatherseal Stuck Or Door Frozen To The Floor
In freezing weather the bottom seal can bond to the slab. Slide a plastic putty knife under the lip to break the bond. Sprinkle a bit of de-icer along the seal and wait a minute. Do not heat springs or the opener rail. Once the seal frees, lift with both hands at the center handle.
Opener Still Engaged Or Trolley Stuck
If the opener carriage did not release, the door will fight you. Pull the red cord straight down and then toward the motor head to be sure the latch clears. After the manual move, pull the handle again or run the opener so the trolley snaps back in place.
Step-By-Step: Free A Door That Won’t Open By Hand
- Stand inside with the door fully down. Check that no pets or people are under the door path.
- Disengage any keyed lock on the center handle. Confirm both slide bars retract.
- Pull the emergency release straight down. Listen for the click as the trolley lets go.
- Lift at the center handle. Lift smoothly and steadily. If the door fights you hard, stop. That points to spring or cable trouble.
- If the door rises, guide it slowly. Keep hands clear of the track and bottom corners.
- To close, lower the door by the handle. Keep your feet back from the bottom seal.
- Re-engage the opener by pulling the handle again or by running the motor until the trolley locks.
Balance And Weight Checks You Can Safely Do
A balanced door stays near mid-travel when you lift it halfway and let go for a moment. If it slams shut or shoots up, the counterbalance is off. That job needs tools and training. Your role is to observe and report.
| Test Result | What It Means | Next Move |
|---|---|---|
| Door holds at mid-travel | Spring balance is close | Clean and lube rollers, check hinges |
| Door drifts down fast | Not enough lift from springs | Schedule a spring service visit |
| Door rises on its own | Too much lift or wrong springs | Have a tech adjust or replace springs |
| One side sags | Cable slip or uneven lift | Stop using; request cable reset |
Reengage The Opener And Test Safeties
Once the door moves by hand, snap the trolley back and run a full open-close cycle. Watch the travel limits and the release latch. Then check the photo-eye sensors near the floor. Those sensors protect against entrapment when the motor runs. If the beam is blocked or misaligned, the opener should reverse. That rule has applied to residential operators since the early nineties.
Red Flags That Call For A Technician
- A visible gap in a torsion spring or a dangling cable
- Door will not lift off the floor even with two people
- Track pulled from the jamb, bent angle iron, or cracked hinges
- Opener sprocket, belt, or chain wrapped or broken
- Wood door sections splitting near the hinge line
Keep It Moving: Simple Care That Prevents Sticking
Once the door opens by hand, spend ten minutes on care. Tighten loose hinge bolts. Vacuum the tracks. Wipe the track faces and the roller stems. Apply a small shot of garage-door lube to the roller bearings, hinges, and the top of the spring coils. Do not flood the track; wheels should roll, not slide. Check the bottom seal for tears. If the seal sticks in winter, sweep away slush at night and dust the seal with a bit of silicone spray on a cloth.
If You Must Open From Outside
Some homes have a key-release kit in the top section. That key pulls a cable linked to the same trolley. After the release, lift with both hands at the handle. If you do not have a kit and the service door is locked, a locksmith visit may be safer than forcing a heavy panel from outside.
Quick Notes On Door Types
Single-Spring Torsion Systems
When the only spring breaks, the door is dead weight. Leave it down and call for replacement.
Dual-Spring Torsion Systems
If one of two springs breaks, the door may still move a little, but it will be crooked and heavy. That is unsafe to lift.
Extension Spring Systems
These use long springs along the horizontal tracks. Broken safety cables or stretched coils make hand-lifting risky. A pro should renew the set and the cables.
Seasonal Sticking: Heat, Cold, And Humidity
Wood doors swell when wet, steel doors can bow in heat, and rubber seals bond to ice. Keep the bottom seal clean, add a thin layer of wax to a raw wood edge, and make sure travel limits are not pressing the panel into the slab.
After You Fix The Immediate Jam
Run a quick checklist monthly. Listen for new noises. Watch for frayed lift cables near the drum. Test the manual release with the door down so the action is familiar. A minute of practice now can save you during a storm or outage.
Helpful References
For maker guidance on the emergency release, see LiftMaster’s manual open/close steps. For safety rules that apply to residential operators, review 16 CFR Part 1211.